Throughout October, wild fires have been sweeping through large parts of California with devastating effect. More than 191,000 acres have burned, and 42 people have been confirmed dead, a number expected to rise.

The wine-growing region of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, located 50 miles north of San Francisco, has been hit hard with entire neighborhoods incinerated. Thousands of firefighters from around the country have come to combat the fires, but for many areas it is too late. Magnum photographer Alessandra Sanguinetti traveled to the area to document the devastation.

She found previously idyllic streets turned to smoking ghost towns, with signs of a previous life – mail boxes, cars – melted to a surrealist degree.